Kurt Cobain and another Nirvana member have mixed feelings about one of their most successful songs. It only takes one hit song to make it in music, and from there, an artist has the ability to create a legacy that will last well beyond their time on Earth. Getting to the top is challenging, but staying there is even more difficult. It’s why bands like Metallica, who have remained popular for decades, are so rare. A hit song is nice, but artists eventually tire of their own work. Some artists can’t bear their own work, whether it’s Plain White T’s and “Hey There Delilah,” or Freddie’s opinions on some Queen tracks. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana is well-known, yet some may be unaware that he despised performing one of the band’s biggest hits live. Nirvana Is Among The Greatest And Most Influential Bands Of All Time. Nirvana, formed in 1987, wasn’t an overnight sensation, but their journey to superstardom was nothing short of a rock ‘n’ roll fairy tale. The trio, led by the enigmatic Kurt Cobain, alongside bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl, erupted onto the scene with their 1991 album Nevermind. This record wasn’t just music; it was a revolution wrapped in distortion and powered by sheer emotion.
Nevermind skyrocketed to the top of the charts, propelled by the infectious angst of the hit single “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The album’s unexpected commercial success sent shockwaves through the music industry, knocking pop off its glossy pedestal and inviting raw authenticity back into the limelight. Cited from Billboard’s historical charts, Nevermind dominated the Billboard 200, staying at the number one spot for weeks on end. Nevermind reached the top of the charts because to the infectious angst of the smash single “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The album’s unexpected commercial success shook the music business, knocking pop off its glossy pedestal and bringing raw authenticity back into the spotlight. According to Billboard’s historical records, Nevermind dominated the Billboard 200, remaining at the top for weeks on end. Nirvana’s influence on the following generation of bands is unmistakable. The reverberations of their impact can be heard over time. According to hindsight analysis, the ’90s alternative rock genre was mainly a reverberation of the sounds and attitudes pioneered by Nirvana. Returning to “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the song launched a new era of rock and is regarded as one of the best songs of all time. Despite this, Kurt Cobain was not a big fan.
Kurt Cobain Hated It When They Played “Smells Like Teen Spirit” “Another issue Cobain faced was that “Teen Spirit” diverted attention away from Nirvana’s other songs,” according to Loudwire. Kurt didn’t think “Teen Spirit” was better than anything else he’d written, citing “Drain You” as an example of something equally good, if not better. But he also acknowledged that if “Drain You” had become as famous as “Teen Spirit,” he would have likely lost interest in that song as well.” The site also mentioned that the popularity that resulted from the song’s success was difficult to deal with. “Kurt probably wanted to sell 20 million records and be the biggest band in the world, but I’m sure he didn’t want all the baggage that came with it,” drummer Dave Grohl said. I’m sure he had no idea how much baggage came with it. No one did. “I did not.” Kurt eventually loathed performing the song live. “I want to throw down my guitar and walk away.” “I can’t pretend to enjoy playing it,” Cobain stated. It’s awful to think that the song that catapulted Cobain to fame was also the one that drove him insane. Surprisingly, Cobain is far from the only celebrity who did not enjoy performing their biggest song live. He Wasn’t the Only Artist Who Hated Playing a Big Hit. According to BestLife, Radiohead doesn’t enjoy playing “Creep” all that much, even though it’s their biggest tune.
“After they lightly reintroduced the song to their set list—it popped up on the tour for 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool—guitarist Ed O’Brien told Rolling Stone in 2017, “It’s a good song. It’s nice to play for the right reasons. People like it and want to hear it.” Still, O’Brien noted that, for the most part, they avoid it. And lead singer Thom Yorke, who said the band only played “Creep” once or twice that year, admitted he sometimes wants to quit playing it halfway through.” Nirvana’s drummer, Dave Grohl, now the Foo Fighters frontman, has followed in Kurt’s footsteps, and has refused to play a song live, though not because of its popularity. Dave Grohl, now the frontman of the Foo Fighters, has followed in Kurt’s footsteps by refusing to perform a song live, though not because of its popularity. “Every time we played it, it started raining Mentos, and their mother f****** hurt,” Grohl explained. “We did a show in Canada, and someone threw a pack in the middle of the song, and it hit me right in the face.” “I was so enraged that I picked it up and said, ‘It’s been 10 f****** years since that video,'” he went on. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” revolutionized rock music, but Cobain despised what it did in the long run.
